All 10 Best Picture nominees at the 2024 Oscars ranked worst to best

2. Past Lives

Another directorial film debut on the list of Best Picture nominees is Celine Song's Past Lives, which does an amazing job of capturing the human experience of navigating romantic relationships. No, I never had a long-distance connection with someone I loved growing up, but I can still totally relate to protagonist Nora's (Greta Lee) journey.

I love the concept of fate, as well as the Korean belief of "in-yun," which Past Lives is all about. How much we really make our own decisions, plus how impactful those decisions are on the rest of our lives, is something I think about often, so this movie really touched me. I've seen it twice now and hysterically cried both times.

Now, I wouldn't say Past Lives is inherently sad, but it's just real, which is why it's so emotional. The direction is fantastic, as are the cinematography, performances, and soundtrack. It's a near-perfect movie to me that I would recommend to anyone.

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1. Poor Things

One of my favorite directors Yorgos Lanthimos returned in 2023 with Poor Things, which is arguably his best movie yet. The 19th-century dramedy stars Emma Stone as Bella Baxter, a woman who is resurrected with a child's brain by an experimental doctor. There's no way of predicting what happens in this film; it's the perfect amount of strange, exciting, and thought-provoking.

I was expecting to like Poor Things, but the movie exceeded my expectations and I was truly obsessed when I saw it in theaters. Stone is so fantastic in the role of a woman finding her independence and identity through world traveling and sexual discovery. Alongside Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, and Ramy Youssef are also fantastic in supporting roles.

There's so much to love about Poor Things, and it delivers on so many levels for me that I have no other choice but to rank it in the number one spot. If you're into unconventional, compelling films that'll have you scratching your head, laughing, and maybe even tearing up (like I did!), Poor Things is for you.

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Who are you rooting for to win Best Picture at this year's Academy Awards? My money is on Oppenheimer, though I hope Poor Things goes home with a couple of awards, at least!